


For My Home Sits on Hallowed Ground

by griffonskies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Keith's no good very strange day, Kinda, Not Beta Read, but youll be hard pressed to miss them, the others aren't mentioned by names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 21:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21345280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/griffonskies/pseuds/griffonskies
Summary: Keith bought a ticket for Marmora City.But the railroad does not go there.(a.k.a. Keith's somewhat good, very strange day on a quest for home)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8
Collections: Haunted VLD Exchange 2019





	For My Home Sits on Hallowed Ground

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gossamer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gossamer/gifts).

> I'm sorry, I'm a bit late!  
I bring you Keith lost in strange woods though, with a lot of magic and strangeness afoot, so I hope you like it!

Sunrise crawled along into early afternoon as the train went down the old railway. Seaside turned to cityscape, turned to autumn forests. Leaves of warm yellow fell pass the rain wet windows. One of the leaves caught on the glass and caught Keith’s attention. It fluttered on the window before blowing away with the next wave of orange and red. Keith followed it as it flew, then returned his gaze to the empty horizon beyond the trees. 

“Ticket.”

Keith startled and tensed as he turned around to find the conductor leaning over the two adjacent seats to catch his attention.

“Ticket, please.” The man repeated as he took out a ticket puncher from his navy suit pocket. 

It has still been dark that morning when Keith marched up to the ticket booth. The boy behind the counter had to stifle more than one yawn before he could hand the ticket over. Keith had than marched to the waiting area and sat on one of only two available benches. He looked at the piece of old school paper, words printed in big old school letters - Marmora City - 7am - return ticket - he then tucked the ticket and his hands into his jacket pockets, and settled back ready to wait for the train to come and take him far far away from here. Hopefully to a new, better life in the big city.

His misty breath had echoed down the empty hallway.

“Thank you.” the conductor handed the ticket back and moved on. 

Keith watched after him and then looked around at the still empty wagon. 

The wheals rattled and the room went dark as the train passed through a tunnel and into thick fog on the other end.

——————

The fog cleared by the time the train stopped at a small station. The only building there was of gray stone and half overgrown. Old trees reached with bare branches over the rails, almost enclosing the station in its small, private grove. Keith could see the conductor jump off the train to the much lower platform and make his way to the building. He wondered how long the train would wait there before moving on.

But time went and flew, and before long the train had been there for over half an hour. Keith had been pacing down the corridor for half of the time.

He huffed and made his way to the doors to demand the reason for the delay and almost crashed into the conductor.

“Boy what are you still doing on the train? We arrived half an hour ago!”

Keith’s brows furrowed, “This isn’t my station.”

“It’s the last station kid. Unless you want another ticket to go back right where you came from this is your station.”

“But I’m headed to Marmora City! This isn’t the right station.”

The conductor narrowed his eyes at him. Keith glared right back. “There’s no train tracks beyond this station... You’re on the wrong train with the wrong ticket.”

Keith grit his teeth, taking a breath not to explode, “I do not have the wrong ticket!” he ripped the ticket from his pocket almost tearing it in two, “Says right here, Marmor-“

But the ticket was not the one he bought.

——————-

Keith stared at the ticket in a daze. The conductor having guided him off the train.

Voltron town - 7:15am - one way

He looked around himself, flipped the ticket twice over and searched around in all his pockets. 

Voltron town - 7:15am - one way

It even had the same puncher hole in the shape of a cats head, in the same place on the ticket he remembered.

He stared at the blue sign above the station. The words “Teleduv station” placidly started right back at him.

He turned to enter the station building but tripped over a cat. “Wha-?!”

The gray cat hissed at him from its sitting position right in the middle of the doorway. 

Keith scoffed at it, “Serves you right for always standing in the way.” The blue eyed cat just hissed at him again. Keith blinked at the cat in confusion - why had he said that? - the cat just blinked back at him then turned around and walked away.

Keith complained are the counter. Systems were checked, calls were made and the ticket was double checked. 

But still it only said: Voltron town - 7:15am - one way

The conductor unrolled an old map over the counter. The paper yellow, the edges weathered and torn in places. Sellotape held one whole corner together.

Keith rolled his eyes and pulled out his smartphone, “Look, just show me on Google Map-“ he stopped at the screen showing no connection. The conductor raised his eyebrow at him, palms stretched over the map. 

“Were here,” he said, pointing at a small cluster of gray on the map, “and Marmora is over here,” he continued, pointing to another bigger gray blob on the map. One that was practically in the other corner. And between the two places stretched a whole forest, a river and a small hill range. The black line for the railroad ended at Voltron. The tracks leading to Marmora came from the opposite part of the map. If the two tracks ever meet was not shown on the paper.

The only way from Voltron to Marmora was the morning bus that went to Altea town and then to Marmora.

Alternatively.

“What about here?” asked Keith, pointing at a dotted line leading through the woods and over hills. 

The man looked at him for a moment, his gaze searching, almost measuring and Keith could feel himself bristling at it.

“It’s an off-road path leading to the Lion’s Rest mansion. There is nothing but forest beyond there,” he then briskly rolled the map back up, “I wouldn’t recommend it.”

But beyond the forest was Marmora City.

Keith looked at the clock, back at the map. He took a picture of the trail with his phone and exited without a word.

—— 

Keith lost his way twice in the small streets beyond the main square. Twice he asked for directions, earning him strange looks, for the town had one main square and one main road, and still he got lost.

He looked down at the map again. Then looked up to the end of the street. Around the corner there hobbled an old woman, she stopped at the corner and stood staring in his directions. Keith could feel goosebumps up the back of his neck at the stare but stubbornly refused to back down, he continued to look straight ahead, his steps picking up pace. Closer and closer he came to the corner, neither of their gazes wavering. 

The old woman had a wooden cane in one hand, but seemed to stand stable without it. The orange and white of the old style traditional dress seemed to merge with the gray of the buildings.

Even closer her gaze was almost oppressive. The cane in her wrinkled hands was carved at the handle into a head of a roaring lion. The edges of it worn from age and use. Her hair almost glowed orange in the setting sun.

One step and he was almost in front of her. His heart beat quicker, though he did not know the reason for it. Another step and he had to turn on his side to go around her on the narrow street. 

Another step and he was on the other side of her. He could feel a sigh of relief bubbling up, but would not release it.

“You’re going the wrong way child.”

He half turned, not daring to look at her straight in the eyes again. She hobble-turned on the spot, then pointed one slender finger down a side path going out of the town, behind the last house, over the fields and into the forest. 

He looked at the path, then back at her. He could feel his legs twitching to follow the path. She smiled at him, and it felt sour and wrong, but he could not look away. The map in his hands started slipping and-

“Meaw!”

Keith jumped on the spot, his gaze falling down to find a long haired cat, white as moonlight, sitting at his feet looking up at the woman.

The woman tsked at the cat, looked at Keith from under her brows then turned and walked away.

Keith sighed in relief.

“Meaw.”

Keith turned around at another sound from the cat, not having noticed it move. It was laying on the low wall on the other side of the crossing, one paw dangling off the edge. Beyond he could see the Main Street, and beyond that the path he wanted to take.

The path was but a trail running alongside fields and forest edges. The earth hard packed by car wheels, grass peeking up in patches in between. Close to the town there were still people visible, dutifully working on the fields. But soon all commotion fell away and then it was just Keith and fields of golden high grass. He passed cows and sheep grazing in fields. Around a corner he passed a mare and her foal walking freely over the path. The mare huffed at him, her dark gaze following his path as the foul played without a care. Keith hurried pass them.

The first step into the woods took his breath away and stopped him in his tracks. All went still. 

The warm colored treetops swayed in the silence. 

He took a breath and everything came crashing down to normal.

He stood on the spot for a moment, but continued on with determination. Dry leaves rustled under confident steps.

The winding birch forest path let way to a wide valley, a field of gold surrounded by darker oak and pine trees. The path was swallowed by the grass from here, but on the other side Keith could see it continue in the opposite treeline. The grass was knee-high and the ground uneven. His boots were covered in mud by the time he was half way over.

A crow cry. The dark branches rustled. Crows took aflight into the sky. 

Two giant deer heads turned slowly in unison on both sides of the forest path. Their dark silhouettes the same as the dark dark wood around them. Two sets of hollow eyes shining with yellow light. Then the heads rose to attention, antlers like baren treetops rose above the other trees, hooves like tree trunks stayed rooted to the ground, un-moving.

They silently watched as he passed beneath their branches. 

Only when he was already a way into the woods did he hear the rustling of branches and crackling of tree trunks as the deer like shadows settled back into the dark.

———— 

The rain started sprinkling. Then it started pouring. It fell through the barren branches as if on open fields. Keith hissed at the feel of it, then ran for the abandoned ruins of a cottage on the side of the path. There was roof enough to cover him from the worst of the downpour. He huffed and shook his head to dispel as much water of him as he could. 

He huffed again, glaring up at what he could see of the clouds glowing in twilight.

He was just contemplating making a run for it when light padded steps caught his breath in his lungs. It sounded big for all its steps were silent, and right behind him. He turned slowly to the windowsill behind him. And found a silhouette of a panther, its body black, its paws glowing green. Each slow, measured step made the ground erupt in spring greenery, young green grass and tiny flowers in multicolor. The panther rounded the corner of the broken down wall, its green hollow gaze never leaving his.

A bell sounded on the road and Keith jerked around to see a tiger of white and glowing yellow stripes walk silently down the path from where Keith came. From its big yaws dangled an old lantern, orange light shining through brightly colored glass, covering the earth in hues of red and blue and green and purple.

The tiger came to a stop right in front of Keith on the path, it turned its head towards him as if waiting. Yellow light shining in place of eyes. 

Keith hesitated, but a warm body pushed around his knees and he looked down to find the green panther bunt against him then walk onto the path to join the yellow tiger. They both then stood there. Waiting.

He scrawled at the idea of getting wet again but stepped forward into the light. 

And found himself dry and warm under the glow. 

He blinked in wonder but the big cats just continued walking at a slow pace. Keith had to move with them or risk getting drenched by the rain.

Every now and again Keith would look from one cat to the other, the panther still left patches of bright green behind it, the tiger still glowed with yellow stripes. But the cats took no notice of him.

Soon they were on a stone bridge. The sides of it covered in moss and chunks having fallen to the riverbed below. A splash and myowl sounded as they were half way over. In the still water was another tiger. Keith could just make out the gray of its fur between the blue glow of its stripes. It myowled again at them, unperturbed by the rain and river water all around it. Keith shivered at the idea of all that water. 

The green panther huffed at the blue tiger, and the tiger started to swim twirls the opposite bank. It waited for them to get closer before shaking the water off. Far enough for the water to not touch them but close enough for Keith to jerk back. He scoffed at the new tiger, but the tiger just yawned - showing off an impressive set of sharp sharp teeth. The blue tiger settled in step with the yellow tiger as they continued.

——-

The rain had stopped and the clouds cleared by the time the first stars appeared in the night sky.

But it was a sky the likes of which Keith had never seen before. The horizon glowed in a faint blue, one side of the sky was bathed in subtle purples and violets and pinks, the stars shone brighter and closer than he’s ever seen them. Almost as if a nebula had appeared right above their heads. The display took his breath away and sent his heart racing.

He looked down to the cats alongside him but found them gone.

In their place was a leopard, white as starlight and spots like brightest silver. The leopard turned its head up to him, in its jaws hung an ornate lantern of bright lavender.

The big cat gazed at him with shining violet holes for eyes. Keith starred back in wonder.

The big cat stepped forward, and Keith followed.

And promptly tripped over a half buried rock in the misty forest glen. 

He got up to see himself in the middle of a crumbling rock circle. Some of the stones softly shining with white swirling lines. And behind the circle of rocks, was a weathered mural. Its face decorated in old drawings faded with time, but still he could see a folklore like scenery and creatures covering the wall remains. And in the middle of it all was a lion head, mouth open in a roar. Keith could almost hear it.

It roared again and this time he knew it to be real. The mural faded to a far of silhouette of a bright red lion. It roared at him again, the voice of it catching on the sudden wind. 

Keith’s heart hammered in his chest, he stepped forward, reached him arm and almost bound forward to the lion. But the lion faded. The mural was back. From behind four big rocks in opposing four corners came the four big cats he had followed before. Each with its own lantern in jaw.

One light in multicoloured glass and brass framing.

One light of bright blue glass smooth as ice and framing of ocean waves.

One light gold in a frame of vines and flowers, hanging of a long curved handle to the side.

One light of lavender and a frame of intricate sculptures, lions and dragons and sirens.

They turned in unison. And stepped away in unison. Each to its corner of the world. Taking their light with them.

“Wait!” Keith yelled, running behind the white leopard. 

He stumbled.

He fell.

And looked up from the leaf covered ground up towards the mansion in the woods.

Two stone lions posed with pride on either side of the gate. 

The lights shone warm from the windows and voices rang from the half opened door.

Keith stepped in. And looked around at the welcoming faces. 

It was home.


End file.
